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trying to clarify this situation under RAW in light of a very very old codex.

The situation is attaching a character to a unit of mandrakes prior to deployment.

According to the rulebook, this hidden deployment rule is not transferred to the IC (since the wording is not there in the codex), but also by RAW the rule is not lost by the unit due to his presence either (since it's not listed in either the codex of the main rule book).

So, can the mandrakes hide a friend along for a while, or do they immediately show up because the IC is not hidden?

Thanks!

When using the Mandrake's "Hidden Deployment," the only thing on the board are three markers denoting the potential location for the unit.

Until the actual location is selected and the unit deployed, the Mandrakes are neither on the board nor in reserve.

The only rules for an IC joining a unit that I can recall cover joining a unit already on the board, or (during initial deployment) one held in reserve or already deployed in a vehicle already on the board.

I cannot find anything in the rules that would allow an IC to join a unit of Mandrakes before they unit is actually deployed on the field.

An IC can start the game in an unit by being deployed in coherence with it.

mandrakes makes this odd (impossible) because of their unique deployment.

I guess he could never be placed in coherence since the "unit" is not anywhere until revealed, and he does not have the special ability himself.

Sound reasonable?

Mandrakes have the special rule "Hidden Deployment."

When an IC joins a unit, that unit loses any special rules that they do not already share in common with the unit joined unless the special rule specifically annotates that it allows ICs to join and gain the rule.

If a haemonculi joins a unit of mandrakes, since the "Hidden Deployment" special rule does not call out any ICs, the mandrake squad loses the special ability "Hidden Deployment." That would make them have to deploy onto the board as normal.

Salldiven, actually if you look at the codex it says the mandrakes ARE deployed at the beginning of the game, the just have special deployment rules, and you actually deploy them on the table even during DOW. They are not infiltrating, nor are the in reserve. They are in fact on the table but they can't be shot at unless you want them to. That being said, I feel like I read somewhere that ICs cannot join their squads anyway.

Dash of pepper has it right.

I agree with the "end result", but I dont think that IC/special rule relationship is correct. Some special rules are lost, and others are retained regardless of the IC. These special rules that are "lost" are marked with an * in the rule book...so for example, while the unit loses infiltrate and scout when a non infiltrating/scouting IC joins, a unit with stealth retains stealth regardless of who joins (although the joining IC does not gain stealth).

I also could swear I read somewhere that ICs simply cannot join mandrakes...but now that I look for it, I can't find it.

I actually think that it is resolved by the fact that until they are revealed a character (which never gained hidden deployment) cannot be in coherence with the unit.